Novel process and composition



United States Patent 3,419,500 NOVEL PROCESS AND COMPOSITION EdwardAlbert Rytter, Palisades Park, and Carl Robert Canter, Bloomfield, N.J.,assignors to Lever Brothers Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation ofMaine N0 Drawing. Filed Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 500,347

3 Claims. (Cl. 252-89) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Compositionscontaining ethylene oxide condensates and small proportions of water aredisclosed. It has been found that from 7% to 25% water will causeliquefaction of ethylene oxide condensates, although the amount of waterused is less than required to dissolve the ethylene oxide condensates.

The present invention is concerned with the preparation of detergentformulations wherein the detergentactive ingredient is a nonioniccompound which is normally solid at substantially room temperature.

It is well known in the manufacture of various cleansing formulations toprepare liquid or powdered detergent formulations which are thecombination of a variety of materials. This invention relates to a novelmethod for preparing cleansing formulations, and to novel compositionsfor use in such a process in which certain nonionic detergent compoundsare employed. One of the important ingredients in such a formulation is,of course, the detergent-active compound.

In the preparation of detergent formulations, it is obvious that thephysical state of the ingredients has an important bearing on the easewith which the formulating process may be carried out. Materials whichare solid are more diflicult to handle and more difiicult to blenduniformly than are liquid materials. For that reason, it has sometimesbeen the practice in the past, when handling normally solid nonionicdetergents, to heat such materials sufficiently to maintain them in aliquid condition in order to facilitate their handling and storage inthe manufacturing process.

7 In accordance ,with the present invention, a novel method formaintaining certain normally solid nonionic detergents in a liquid formhas been discovered. More specifically, it has been found that certainnonionic detergents when blended with minor amounts of Water aresuccessively transformedfrom a dry solid to a thin liquid, to a viscousliquid, and finally, to a solid gel-like phase. Accordingly, byproviding for the presence of an appropriate, minor proportion of water,these normally solid nonionic detergents can be maintained in the liquidphase intermediate the two solid phases, whereby storage and handlingthereof during the preparation of nonionic detergent formulations arefacilitated. (Throughout the spe cification proportions and percentagesare by weight unless specifically indicated to the contrary.)

The nonionic detergents which may be employed in the present inventionhave several important characteristics:

Firstly, the nonionic detergents with which the present invention isconcerned are the ethylene oxide. reaction products of the primaryalcohols of the aliphatic hydrocarbons, the detergents being normallysolid atabout 70 F. The present invention is especially applicable todetergents having melting points between 75 and 110 F. Normally, theethylene oxide-alcohol condensates which are solid at 70 F. are formedfrom the substantially linear hydrocarbons. Such compounds may be freeof branching, or may contain one or possibly two lower alkyl groupsalong the long carbon chain. Typically, the lower alkyl ICC branch willbe a methyl group, but in some compounds ethyl or propyl branching willalso occur, Additionally, the solid ethylene oxide-alcohol condensateswill be based on substantially saturated alcohols. As is well known, thepresence of substantial amounts of unsaturation tends to result incompounds which are liquid at room temperature.

Secondly, the number of carbon atoms in the alcohol portion of thecompound is important. The nonionic detergents which may be used in thepresent invention should be formed from fatty alcohols containingbetween about 11 and 16 carbon atoms, and at least 15% of the alcoholshould contain C or C compounds. Preferred alcohols contain from 12 to15 carbon atoms.

Alcohols of the foregoing description may conveniently be obtained frompetroleum sources, for instance, by hydration of alpha olefins, which inturn may be commercially obtained by cracking petroleum waxes. Suchalcohols may contain carbon chains of either an even or an odd number ofcarbon atoms. Another convenient and commercially known method ofobtaining alpha olefins is the Ziegler polymerization of ethylene,whereby linear alpha olefins containing from 12 to 16 carbon atoms maybe obtained. Still other common sources of alcohols are the glyceridicfats and oils from which long-chain alcohols can be obtained byreduction. The alcohols employed may be mixtures of alcohols of variouschain lengths. It will be obvious that appropriate pure compoundssatisfying the above criteria may be employed if desired.

Finally, the nonionic detergents to which the present invention isapplicable should contain between about 60% and ethylene oxide.Ethoxylation may be accomplished by any convenient method known in theart.

As already indicated, it has been found that when the nonionicdetergents of the foregoing description are mixed with water, thedetergent successively passes through the stages of being (1) a whitev/axy solid, (2) a water-clear thin liquid, (3) a clear viscous liquid,and finally (4) a clear gel. In accordance with the present invention asufficient amount of water is incorporated into the nonionic detergentto obtain a composition falling within the intermediate liquid phase.Thereby a composition is obtained which can be readily handled andstored in a liquid state during the manufacture of nonionic detergentformulations. In general, the amount of water required will vary fromabout 7 to about 25 parts per parts of the dry, nonionic solid. However,it is evident that nonionic detergents falling within the abovedescription may vary somewhat in their response to added water.Accordingly, the amount of water added should be sufficient to obtainthe desired phase.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the amount of wateradded will be sufficient to yield a liquid of the lowest viscosity. Thepreferred amount of water is normally in the range of 11 to 18 parts.per 100 parts of the dry detergent.

For a further understanding of the present invention, reference may behad to the following examples.

Example 1 An ethyloxylated linear alcohol containing an average of 13.5mols of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol (about 75% ethylene oxide)was combined with water. The alcohol portion of the nonionic detergenthad the following carbon number distribution:

White, waxy solidwater-clear, thin liquidwater-clear viscous liquidclear gel.

The liquid phases were obtained when the water was in the range of about7 to about 25 parts of water per 100 parts of the dry solid. The thinliquid was obtained at water contents of 8 to 18 parts per 100 parts ofthe dry solid.

The pumpable liquid phase is of value because it will facilitate thehandling of the nonionic detergent in plant operations during thecompounding of nonionic detergent formulations, as well as duringshipping of the raw materials. No heat is needed to maintain thematerial as a liquid, since it was a liquid at 70 F.

Example 2 The foregoing example was repeated using an alcohol fractioncontaining C to C compounds condensed with 12 moles of ethylene oxideper mole of alcohol (containing about 72% ethylene oxide). Like resultswere obtained, the liquid phases being within the range of about 7 toabout 25 parts of water per 100 parts of detergent solids.

In both of the foregoing examples, the alcohol fractions contained amaximum of about 25% Z-methyl branching.

Example 3 A nonionic detergent was prepared by ethoxylating a technicalgrade lauryl alcohol to obtain a product containing approximately 75%ethylene oxide. This material was a solid at 70 F. When 90 parts ofactive were combined with 10 parts of water, a product was obtainedwhich was liquid at 70 F.

Example 4 Example The application of the present invention to mixedethoxylated alcohols having varying amounts of a C alcohol-ethyleneoxide condensate was investigated by employing mixtures of commerciallyavailable ethylene oxide-alcohol condensates under the trademarksAlfonic 1218-6 and Alfonic 1418-6. Both materials containedapproximately 60% ethylene oxide by weight and the alcohol portions ofthe condensates had the following carbon number distribution:

Alfonic 418-6, percent Alfonic 1218-6, percent C14 4O 40 Cu 40 30 C1 2020 The actives were blended together to obtain mixtures having thefollowing carbon number distributions:

Blend #1, Blend #2, Blend #3, Blend 4, percent percent percent percentCr: 20 10.0 5.00 15.00 014. 35 37. 5 38. 30. 25 Cu. 30 35. 0 37. 5O 32.50 Cir..." 16 17. 5 18.75 16. 25

Each of the foregoing blends, as well as the Alfonic 1418-6 was a whitesolid at 70 F. Alfonic 1218-6 is a hazy liquid at 70 F.

Water was added to each blend to obtain a mixture having active and 10%water. Each solution was stored at 70 F. for 24 hours and its physicalstate was noted. The following observation was made:

Physical condition after Sample: 24 hours at 70 F. Blend #1+10% WaterThin-clear-homogeneous liquid. Blend #2+10% water 2 layers: Topclearbottom gel. Blend #3+10% water Do.

Blend #4+10% water Thin-clear-homogeneous liquid.

The foregoing indicates that alcohol-ethylene oxide condensates whichare solid at 70 F and which contain at least 15% of a C alcohol ethyleneoxide condensate can be converted into homogeneous pumpable liquids forthe purpose of facilitating processing by the addition of minor amountsof water.

It will be understood that the foregoing examples are for illustrativepurposes only, and that the present invention is not limited thereto.

We claim:

1. As a composition of matter, the combination consisting essentially ofa nonionic detergent and water, the nonionic detergent being a solid ata temperature of about 70 F., containing from about 60% to about 80%ethylene oxide, based on the weight of said detergent and being formedby condensing ethylene oxide with the primary alcohol of at least onealiphatic hydrocarbon having from about 11 to about 16 carbon atoms, atleast 15% by weight of said alcohol being selected from C and C carbonatom compounds, the amount of water in said combination being betweenabout 7 and about 25 parts per parts by weight of said detergent, andbeing sufficient to yield a composition which is liquid at roomtemperature.

2. A composition of matter according to claim 1 wherein the amount ofsaid water is between about 8 and about 18 parts per 100 parts by weightof said detergent.

3. A composition of matter according to claim 1 Wherein said nonionicdetergent is formed by condensing ethylene oxide with the primaryalcohol of at least one aliphatic hydrocarbon having from about 12 toabout 15 carbon atoms, at least 15 by weight of said alcohol being a 12carbon atom compound.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,867,585 1/1959 Vitale.2,934,568 4/1960 Barker 252-89 LEON D. ROSDOL, Primary Examiner.

B. BETTIS, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

